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Thursday, November 19, 2009

Over the centuries, the image of the vampire has been revamped (pun completely intended) multiple times. From mindless monster to suave, yet cold-hearted artistocrat, to today's incarnation of sympathetic, cursed hero, the evolution of the vampire typically reflects the culture of the time. But although the image of the vampire may change, one thing that doesn't is that they are constantly being resurrected (Bah-ZING!) in popular culture.

Ancient Times

Even the earliest civilizations, such as the Sumerians, had stories of vampire-like beings and blood-sucking demons, according to an article in the American Chronicle. Many of the early tales, though not all, describe vampires as soulless, and in some cases, mindless killers.

1450: The Real-Life Dracula

The historical figure that the character of Dracula is based on is Vlad III, Prince of Wallachia, or as you probably know him, Vlad the Impaler, according to Eric Nuzum, author of "The Dead Travel Fast: Stalking Vampires from Nosferatu to Count Chocula." He wasn't a vampire, nor did he drink blood, but he did murder thousands of his countrymen. His chosen last name "Dracula," a reference to a religious order founded by his father, translates to "son of the devil," according to Nuzum.

If you step out of your house late Thursday night, you'll witness an overwhelming scene. At 12:01 a.m., movie theaters will release "New Moon," the next film in the "Twilight" series. Anxious viewers will finally discover whether mortal Bella Swan will choose Jacob's werewolf den over Edward's sparkly coffin. Clearly, creatures of the night have returned to societal consciousness.

As a testament to their adaptability, vampires are front and center on the pop-culture stage. Television shows such as "True Blood" and "The Vampire Diaries" feature titillating exchanges between fanged supermodels. Movies like "Twilight," "Let the Right One In" and "Blood: The Last Vampire" explore vampirism through teenage, independent and gore-tinted lenses,

Dracula has moved on. Today’s fang-baring bloodsucker is more a Jane Austen romantic hero than a Hammer horror villain

The release tomorrow of New Moon, the second film in the phenomenally successful Twilight saga, confirms that 2009 has truly been the year of the vampire. The non-beating heart of Edward Cullen, Twilight’s beautiful vampire hero, has set pulses racing all over the world. At the London premiere last week, Robert Pattinson, who plays Edward, was greeted by thousands of girls screaming not because they fear that they’ll die if he bites them, but because they know they’ll die if he doesn’t.

Cold-blooded creatures have never been so hot.New Moon comes at the end of a long list of vampire films that have filled the cinemas this year. Thirst, a Korean tale of a vampire priest, won the Jury Prize at Cannes. Let the Right One In, the Swedish cult hit about a vampire girl and the boy who lives next door, was released to critical raves in April. It’s now being remade in the US.